Match Report: Soaked, second best but ultimately successful

[Kodjias Wrist]

13 minutes ago, oldstandrobin said:

always good to read @Olé 's write up of the match, not being there I can only go on his regular good reports

This one was pretty inaccurate sorry to say. We deserved the win and had better chances. 

[Davefevs]

@Oléfeel like I’m picking on you….I’m not, honestly.

Finished this last night and thought it was a good example of where being a bit direct, but with purpose / organisation has its merits.  Just posted on twitter if you want to check all 5 pics.

On the flip side what I don’t like about going direct is when Bents kicks long to Martin in a similar position and Kalas, and the midfield are 30-40 yards away.  That’s when we get “strung out” (one of my favourite terms).  That’s when teams pass through us.

I want us to be compact(ish) to have a good chance of picking of any loose balls.

One component of Martin’s aerial play, even if not his strongest suit, is that he tends to flick behind him rather than sideways.  We saw against Blackpool earlier this season that Scott wasn’t quite in synch with his flicks.  Against Peterborough we see Weimann well positioned.

Easy for me to pick out a goal, but if Weimann had controlled, held it up, o think he’d have had good options around him to keep possession and build a different type of attack.

[cidered abroad]

18 hours ago, downendcity said:

To give us our full and proper name, as used by opposition fans,  we are Bristol We Should be Beating These) City.

As @Olé and @Davefevs have said, I’m sure we all want to see City stroking the ball around the park a la Man City. However, I also think we have to accept the reality of the sh1t hand that Pearson was dealt when he took on this job.

It’s a bit like the old joke when a motorist stops a farmer to ask the best way to wherever,  and the farmer replies “ well if I was going there  I wouldn't start from here”. If SL had told Pearson that he wanted a City team to play entertaining, attacking passing football, I suspect that Pearson would have said well I wouldn't start from this position - numerous players out of contract, a shambles on the pitch and demotivated and non-performing and mainly injured players.

However, start from there he had to, and his first step was to bring old hands in that he knew and trusted to bring experience and know how and that would influence the squad, with the right way to do things. Pearson has also put in place his plan, which I’m guessing was initially based on working with what he had, given the financial limitations, with an immediate priority  to change attitudes and mentality. I think that most agree that there has been a noticeable change in attitude, with a team going out showing grit and determination, so that we are no longer the soft touches of last season.

He’s said about Martin that he’s interested in what he can do, not what he can’t and I suspect he’s taken a similar view of other players, so has organised a way of playing that plays to our strengths, i.e. getting players to what they can do and not asking them to do what they can’t. It might not be giving us the sparkling football we ideally want, but it is certainly more effective and has made us a harder team to beat, but I’m hoping that we are currently seeing is only the first step along the road of developing Pearson’s own team, which I reckon will look a lot different, not just in personnel, but in playing style, even though it might take a while to get to that position.

While I never expected things to be as bad as the tale end of last season, I did expect us to be rattling around the bottom end of the table. That we are where we are is perhaps down to some luck along the way but also reflects the huge improvement Pearson has already made, and much quicker than I thought was possible. Now if he can just crack the home win jinx....................... 

 

 

Well said @downendcity

[Red-Robbo]

It doesn't surprise me at all seeing people have very different opinions on the game: that's football.

You get three main things out of the sport: A)  Joy when your team wins and a togetherness with your fellow fans  B ) The chance to see some silky skills on show - better than you could ever do [NB: this doesn't apply to Gas fans]  C ) The chance to talk about and argue over the game afterwards.

500 fans probably have 500 slightly different takes on the same game, some will be more informed and more tactically literate, sure, but that doesn't mean they are always "right" and other views are always "wrong". In something as complicated and nuanced as a 90 minute football match, there is no definitive opinion on everything. 

I always read Rob's reports because I can't get to many away games for childcare and work reasons. I read them because they are well-written, fair, and they really paint a picture of how he saw the game.

It doesn't mean what he writes is necessarily how I'd see things if I was there. How can I know?  But the reports are - I think - always worth a read and if they spark a debate; hey! That's what football forums are all about!

[Davefevs]

11 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

It doesn't surprise me at all seeing people have very different opinions on the game: that's football.

You get three main things out of the sport: A)  Joy when your team wins and a togetherness with your fellow fans  B ) The chance to see some silky skills on show - better than you could ever do [NB: this doesn't apply to Gas fans]  C ) The chance to talk about and argue over the game afterwards.

500 fans probably have 500 slightly different takes on the same game, some will be more informed and more tactically literate, sure, but that doesn't mean they are always "right" and other views are always "wrong". In something as complicated and nuanced as a 90 minute football match, there is no definitive opinion on everything. 

I always read Rob's reports because I can't get to many away games for childcare and work reasons. I read them because they are well-written, fair, and they really paint a picture of how he saw the game.

It doesn't mean what he writes is necessarily how I'd see things if I was there. How can I know?  But the reports are - I think - always worth a read and if they spark a debate; hey! That's what football forums are all about!

Spot on RR.  A few of us this season have proved (in our own heads anyway!!) that sometimes it depends of where you sit in the ground.  The Vyner debate v Luton (I think) pretty much saw the Dolman’ers view it a poor 1st half performance whereas the Landown’ers (me) thought he was ok, but we were further away (cue Father Ted cow sketch).  That’s the beauty of it.  On Saturday you’ve got the added dynamic of “being there” v “Robinstv”.

Whether you happen to agree with Rob or whoever, he certainly paints a great picture of the game and atmosphere for those who weren’t able to travel.  I like the edge he gives too, and on OSIB.

One of these days I’d love to have a pint with him.  There’s quite a few others I’d like to too.

On an aside the other week I found out I sit two seats away from someone who we both spend a lot of time tweeting each other.  It was one of those moments where someone says something, and all of a sudden you think - you’re “so and so” on twitter aren’t you?

it’s what brings me back here every day.